You can google all you want, but there is not a one-size-fits-all answer to the popular question of “how long should I rest between sets.” You’ll find plenty of recommendations — and plenty of people who claim to have the answer — but it varies dramatically between different coaches.

When there aren’t hard-and-fast rules, common sense can guide you in the right direction. Here’s our common-sense recommendations.

Be Flexible With Rest Time

If you’re doing a follow-along video workout, like in Fat-Loss Extreme For Women, Fat-Loss Extreme For Men, MOVE,  our Facebook groups for men or women, or in V-Shred University, a good plan rest as however long the coach in the video tells you to rest.

But even these rest times aren’t set in stone. If you’re one round in and you feel like your heart is in your throat, or you’re about to lose your lunch, just pause the video and rest a little longer. Don’t worry, doing this won’t sabotage your results in the least!

Now, suppose you’re following one of our gym-based programs, like Clean Bulk. In that case, our suggestion is that you rest about 60-90 seconds between sets of weighted exercises. That’s long enough to catch your breath and let your muscles recover, but not so long that you’ll totally cool down.

Again, this can also be altered to your fitness level. If you need to take a bit longer, like 2 or 3 minutes, and it will help you bring more intensity or lift more weight on the next set, that’s fine.

That said… it’s important to use your gym time as efficiently as possible. If you need to rest a little longer, take it, but only if you REALLY need it. Otherwise, get off your phone, stop socializing, and get to work.

Don’t sell yourself short, but also listen to your body! Recovery both in and out of the gym is crucial to seeing results! So take the time you need!

And if you find yourself struggling during your workout, that’s where the best workout-boosting supplements can be your best training partner. Consider pounding some Sculpt Nation PRE 15-30 minutes before a tough workout that, or supplementing with some intra-workout “fuel” in the form of Sculpt Nation BCAAs while your lift!

Let The Experts Help You

If you’re completely puzzled by rest times, if you are pushing hard enough, or by how to train for your goal of weight loss or muscle gain, you’re not alone. So let us help you!

V-Shred has a team of of highly qualified coaches who create customized workout programs and diet plans for thousands of people every day. This is what helped them build the bodies they’ve always wanted — and figure out the right way to train to keep those results once they earn them!

Click HERE or email coaching@vshred.com to finally start getting some answers to your questions.

The post How Long Should I Rest Between Sets? appeared first on V Shred.

If you are looking for an ab workout that can help create the abdominal “v-shape” you’ve always wanted — we have an 8 minute follow along you need to add to your ab workout routine!

Essentially, you are trying to develop your “v-lines” – which are the part of your stomach where your lower abs and obliques come together.

If you want these lines to pop, it takes some strategic ab work! You can’t just get on the floor and do some crunches and sit-ups.

You need to do several things, including target training a very specific part of your core — which is exactly what we are doing in this workout!

You don’t need any weights or equipment and if you are using our FOLLOW ALONG VIDEO BELOW, you won’t even need a timer!

Before we give you the workout …. if your goal is to build VISIBLE abs, we need to quickly talk about something important.

If you only care about developing core strength and don’t care if you see the abs you are building, then feel free to scroll down and skip straight to the ab workout.

But if you care about SEEING your abs, listen up!

Ab workouts ALONE will not give you VISIBLE AB DEFINITION

Ab workouts help build your ab muscles, but to see them, you have to get rid of the fat covering them, and the only way to do that is to focus on OVERALL body fat reduction!

This can ONLY be achieved in two ways …

Full Body Training — The more lean muscle you have all over your body, the faster your metabolism will be, which means you will burn more calories even while at rest!

Proper Nutrition — You can’t crunch, or even squat and run, your way to a flat stomach or shredded six-pack. You have to focus on your diet if you want to have visible abs! Your diet is just as important as exercise (probably more) to reduce overall body fat.

THE CATCH WITH BOTH EXERCISE & DIET
IS THAT THEY BOTH NEED AN INDIVIDUAL APPROACH.

This is especially true with diet!

The program that works for your friend or favorite fitness influencer probably isn’t the right one for you. You have to hit your personal macros and split them up in the right protein, carb, and fat ratios that are best for your goals and body type.

If you need help with any of this, we have a free fitness quiz that will tell you your body type, the exact amount of calories (broken down into macros) that you need for your genetics and goals, and the three most important things to do to reach those goals.

It’s really quick to take, your results are instant, and it’s free!

CLICK HERE to check it out!

Alright .. let’s hit the floor … and build some v cut abs

We will specifically be targeting the obliques the most since that is the part of your abs that really helps create the v taper of your waist!

Since this workout is heavily focused on that part of your core, you will need to use this workout in addition to other ab workouts that hit the rest of your core just as hard!

We have hundreds of free ab workouts to choose from on our YouTube Channel if you need some ideas.

AT HOME V CUT ABS WORKOUT

Here is the breakdown, so you know what to expect when following along with us, or in case you want to print out the workout and do the workout on your own!

Equipment: NONE!! You don’t even need a timer if you follow along to THIS VIDEO.

Structure: 20 seconds on – 10 seconds rest – for each exercise.

Rounds: Two

Total Workout Time: 8 minutes (if you do not rest between rounds.)

Workout Breakdown
20 seconds – Side to side crunches
10 rest

20 seconds – Side to side crunches
10 rest

20 seconds – Side Plank Hip Dips (Left Side)
10 rest

20 seconds – Side Plank Hip Dip (Right Side)
10 seconds rest

20 seconds – Floor Wipers
10 rest

20 seconds – Floor Wipers
10 rest

20 seconds – Mountain Climbers
10 rest

20 seconds – Mountain Climbers
10 rest

Repeat for one additional round!

WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS AT HOME V CUT ABS WORKOUT
AND BEFORE YOU GO …
If you haven’t already, don’t forget to take our free fitness quiz!

Then send the quiz, or this article, to a friend that you see doing endless crunches in hopes of melting body fat or sculpting a shredded six-pack.

We’ve gotta get the word out that even the best ab workouts will never be enough if it’s visible abs you are seeking — because you can’t pick and choose where your body stores or loses fat!

We know it sucks.

It’s not fair that some people genetically lose fat in their stomachs easier than others. But instead of complaining about it and doing things that aren’t effective, why not accept it and shift your mindset to what will work!

If you want to get started on that CLICK HERE to learn more about what full-body strength training program and a diet is best for you!

The post Quick, Simple, and Effective 8 Minute V Cut Abs Home Workout appeared first on V Shred.

The most-watched videos on our YouTube channel are hands down our thousands of FREE AB WORKOUTS!!! 

Not all that surprising. After all, whether you are genetically gifted, have a six-pack but struggle to keep it, or have never had visible abs a day in your life, it seems everyone wants to know the best way to get rid of stubborn belly fat!

Today we are giving you something a little bit different than the typical ab workout you will find on the web or even here on our blog and YouTube channel. 

That’s because this is not a guided workout with set in stone exercises, an exact number of reps, sets, rounds, etc. 

Don’t worry! You won’t be doing it all on your own! 

We are giving you a list of twelve popular no-equipment ab exercises to choose from. But instead of giving you a step-by-step ab workout to follow…..

You get the freedom to pick and choose what ab exercises you want to do!

Once you pick your favorites from the list below, or better yet, the ones you know will challenge you the most — you will put together an ab workout that best suits your individual fitness needs! 

 If you aren’t sure how to create a custom ab workout —  it’s really easy! 

• Pick a minimum of 4-5 ab exercises from the list below.
  
• Make sure you select an exercise variety that targets all areas of your stomach (upper, lower, obliques, etc.) so you get a complete ab workout!
• Write out your workout using whatever training structure that matches your fitness level and workout needs!

Here are some ideas … 

• Go for AMRAP (as many reps and rounds as possible.)
• Pick a set number of reps and rounds.
• Use a timer and go for time instead of a number of reps. 
• Do each exercise individually for all sets before moving on to the next.
• Go down the list you create in order from exercise-to-exercise (“round” style.) 
• Rest between each exercise or only rest between rounds.

If you need some additional guidance, try watching some ab videos on our YouTube channel for some inspiration! 

There is no right or wrong way to structure your workout as long as it’s challenging, hits all areas of your midsection, and above all else — you use proper form!!

You can make sure you are doing each move correctly by watching this video tutorial we filmed demonstrating how to do each exercise below!

The post 12 Ab Exercises You Can Do Anywhere appeared first on V Shred.

Planks …  you are either on board (no pun intended) and do them frequently or avoid them at all costs! 

Love them or hate them, most people do them from time to time, the question we hope to answer today is ….

Are basic plank holds effective at sculpting your mid-section?! 

A while back, we filmed a youtube video where we mentioned that planking is a pretty bad ab exercise. 

We think that was a little confusing for some people and would like to clarify what we meant.

Basic plank holds CAN be a great exercise. When done correctly, a plank activates way more muscles than a standard crunch.

But whether or not doing them is beneficial at improving YOUR core depends on a few key factors:

• If you are planking correctly. 
• What style of plank you are doing. 
• Your fitness level (how long can you hold without breaking form.)

If you plank with bad form, it will do NOTHING. No matter your fitness level or the plank variation — you are wasting your time and could actually hurt your back. 

Even if your form is perfect, there are still some cases where plank holds may not be a great ab exercise. 

One of those being —  if you can easily hold a plank for more than 1-minute.

If you can do that, you probably need to consider doing a different ab workout or perform advanced plank variations that are more challenging.

To help you out, we have a 5 Minute Plank Ab Workout for you to try! You will still perform a basic plank hold in this workout, but it will be for your rest periods!

If you can hold a plank for 60-seconds, then you have advanced to the point that a basic plank now becomes your “active” rest! 

These movements are advanced but still don’t require any equipment. You only need a small space on the floor and a timer. 

You don’t even need a timer if you choose to follow along with us!  Just find a small space on the floor and hit play on the video below! 

NOTE: If you are new to working out or have a weak core, this workout isn’t for you. We have plenty of beginner ab workouts on our YouTube channel that you should attempt and perfect before you try this one. But if you can hold a plank for one minute … swap out your basic planks for this workout instead! 

5 MINUTE ADVANCED PLANK AB WORKOUT
(No Equipment Needed)

WORKOUT DESCRIPTION

This workout is challenging! After all, it is 5 minutes of planking without any rest!

But it’s not as bad as it sounds because you will be changing plank variations every 30 seconds .. which keeps things moving! 

Start a timer for 5 minutes (or just follow along with us HERE.) ⬇️

You will hold each plank exercise listed below for 30 seconds, immediately followed by a basic plank for 30 seconds.

Technically you will NOT be resting. Your “rest” is a basic plank performed between each advanced plank. 

This means you will be planking a total of 5 minutes, with no rest. So if at any time you need to take a breather, go ahead! Just try to minimize it to a few seconds! 

STRUCTURE
30 seconds of the advanced plank listed below.
30 seconds of a basic plank hold ( “active rest”) between each advanced plank.
Perform one round with no rest – and you are done!
Set a timer and do it alone or follow along with us HERE!

EXERCISES
Plank Variation 1: Spiderman Planks
Active Rest – Basic Plank Hold

Plank Variation 2: Pike Raise Planks
Active Rest – Basic Plank Hold

Plank Variation 3: Plank Hip Dips
Active Rest – Basic Plank Hold

Plank Variation 4: Plank Jacks
Active Rest – Basic Plank Hold

Plank Variation 5: Plank Shoulder Taps
Active Rest – Basic Plank Hold

Give this a go in place of basic planking!

JUST DON’T FORGET….
If you want to SEE your abs, doing ab workouts like this is only part of what you need to do. 

Ab training is important for building core stability and strength, but if you want your abs to actually show —  you have to get rid of any excess fat covering them!

You can only do that by lowering your overall body fat!  Yes, overall, because you cannot spot reduce belly fat!!

If you want help getting rid of that layer of fat, you should check out our FREE BODY TYPE QUIZ. 

Anyone can take it, and it’s only 6 short questions! You will instantly be told your body type (based on your answers) — and be given some tips on the best way to eat and exercise so you can get rid of body fat faster and easier!

CLICK HERE to take it! Again, it’s totally FREE, and your results are INSTANT! 

The post 5 Minute Plank Ab Workout (advanced with no equipment) appeared first on V Shred.

Ahhhh, summertime!

Temps are rising, the sun is shining, the bbq is fired up, and days at the pool, beach, or lake are likely on your agenda. 

Pretty exciting stuff, right?

Until you realize that likely means … wearing a swimsuit … and you glance in the mirror to see the not-so-flat stomach that has been hiding under jackets and baggy sweatshirts all winter!

Today we have an AB WORKOUT CHALLENGE that will help you get your abs ready for swimsuit season! 

But before we tell you about the challenge… 

It’s important to point out that if you are healthy and happy — the perfect “beach body” is the one you have right now! We support you in being confident no matter your shape or waist size. 

You do NOT need shredded abs to wear a swimsuit
Swimsuit ready can be at ANY SIZE….

Being healthy should be your priority and for most people, that won’t be having year-round rock hard abs. Getting a shredded six-pack requires having very low body fat.

There is nothing wrong with wanting abs or a totally flat stomach. Just know it takes lots of work (inside and outside of the gym.) 

If that is really your goal, or even if you just want to tone and tighten up a little bit, we have a great AB WORKOUT CHALLENGE that will help you achieve a flatter, stronger and more sculpted stomach —  in just minutes a day!

We aren’t saying that this ab workout challenge is all you will have to do to get summer-ready abs!! 

 Doing ab exercises is only part of the equation…..

Having great-looking abs requires consistently performing the right ab exercises with precise form, as well as full-body training, cardio, and eating for your goals and body type! 

You can no doubt strengthen your abs with our  AB WORKOUT CHALLENGE, but you won’t be able to see your abs until the fat covering them is gone.

You can not spot reduce fat. 

You can do 100 rounds of this ab workout challenge and you still won’t be able to see your abs —  if that is where your body holds on to fat. 

If you want help getting rid of that layer of fat you should check out our FREE BODY TYPE QUIZ .

After you answer 6 short questions, you will know your body type and the best way to eat and exercise so you can have your best shot at losing body fat and gaining lean calorie-burning muscle!

CLICK HERE to take it whenever you have a couple of minutes!

Now that you understand that ab exercises are just ONE thing you will need to do to get the mid-section of your dreams … let’s dive into our ab workout challenge!

This ab challenge is perfect for every fitness level. From advanced lifters to those that have never done a single sit-up!

It consists of FOUR EXERCISES. None of them are advanced movements. These are what we call the basic staples.

Don’t let the world ‘basic” fool you.

These exercises are staples because they work and hit all areas of the abs that you need to challenge to get six-pack abs! 

What makes this ab challenge .. challenging … is the number of rounds. 

You’ll start where you can. Even if that is only one round. But then the next day, you attempt to do another round, then the next time another round, and so on.

The idea is to keep adding rounds (as you can) so that you progressively overload your abs!

Because remember ..
Your abs are just like any other muscle in your body
and need progressive overload for growth.

Here is the thing with ab training though… it’s probably the muscle group where people use the crappiest form. 

And …  Crappy form = Crappy results! 

You might still manage to still get sore, but you will not see ideal results if you aren’t using proper form. 

If you are carving out the time …  make every rep count!?

Don’t just print out this AB WORKOUT CHALLENGE and assume  you know how to do each exercise– be sure to check out THIS VIDEO ⬇️!

We quickly show you how to do each of the exercises below with correct form. Take a couple minutes and watch it before you start the challenge! 

POOL PARTY AB WORKOUT CHALLENGE

STRUCTURE
10 reps of each exercise.
No rest in-between exercises.
After all 4 exercises, you will rest for 1 minute.
Repeat for as many rounds as you can. 

EXERCISES
Exercise One: Straight Arm Crunch

• Lay flat on your back.
• Stick your arms straight up over your chest.
• Crunch up ONLY using your abs.
• Raise arms toward the ceiling, but keep them straight. Do not rock or use your arms to gain momentum!!  If you do that, you won’t be working your abs very much at all! Keep those arms locked!!
• Repeat for 10 total reps.

Exercise Two: Russian Twist 

• Sit up on your tailbone.
• Lean torso “back” until your feet come up off the ground.
• Clasp your hands together and turn/rotate your shoulders to one side as much as you can until your elbow comes as close to the ground as possible.
• Do the same thing on the other side. 
• Once you have gone to each side, that is one rep.
• Repeat for 10 total reps. 

Exercise Three: Reverse Crunch (Vince’s favorite bodyweight ab exercise) 

• Lay flat on your back. 
• Put your hands on the floor next to you or under your butt.
• Put your knees up at a 90-degree angle.  This is your starting position. It is where you will start every single rep. 
• Drive your knees into your chest until your lower back comes up off the floor.
• Bring your knees back to the starting position.
• Repeat for 10 total reps.

Exercise Four: Heel Taps

• Stay on your back. Put your feet on the floor with knees bent. 
• Your arms stay down by your sides.
• Crunch up (shoulder blades off the mat) and then reach out as far as possible with your hands.
• Twist to the left, tap your left heel, and then twist to the right and tap your right heel. Keep your shoulder blades off the floor the entire time!  
• One rep is once you have tapped each heel.
• Repeat for 10 total reps.

You may be thinking that this sounds pretty “easy” —  but remember that you are going for as many rounds as possible and there is no rest between exercises. You only get to rest after all 4 exercises are complete! 

Your first attempt will be setting your personal “base-line.”  You are determining how many rounds you can do as of right now. Then in a day or two, you will do the workout again and try to get in at least one more round.

If  you can’t do another round yet, no problem! Try adding another next time!!

You will keep attempting more rounds every time you do the workout (which we suggest doing at least a few times a week.) 

Don’t get frustrated if you can’t advance right away, or get stuck on a certain number of rounds, just make sure you aren’t doing fewer rounds than the time before.  Aim to do the same number of rounds as the previous day — or more!

Even if it takes you a couple weeks to add another round — as long as you are progressing, consistent with doing the challenge at least a few days a week, focusing on full-body exercise, and eating for your body type and goals — you will lose fat and get those abs poppin!

And don’t forget….  if you aren’t sure how to eat and exercise for your body type or aren’t even sure what your body type is, we have that FREE QUIZ you can take! 

It’s already helped tens of thousands of people reach their goals faster and easier!
CLICK HERE to check it out!

The post Let’s Get Your Abs Ready For Summer — 4 Exercise Ab Workout Challenge appeared first on V Shred.

Your “stomach pouch” or “beer belly” may be more than extra fat or a weak core!

Have you ever heard of DIASTASIS RECTI?

This is a medical ab separation that happens to many women who have had babies. 

But anyone… women who have never had children and even MEN… can develop it!!!

Diastasis Recti causes your ab muscles to stretch and separate. This can happen anytime too much pressure is placed on your abdominal muscles.

In pregnant women, this occurs when the two large parallel bands of abdominal muscles separate due to the expanding uterus. 

For everyone else, the reasons vary. The cause of your ab separation could be from weightlifting with bad form, obesity, frequent or rapid changes in weight, etc.

If you have Diastasis Recti…YOU CAN FIX IT!
Even if you have had it for years!!

USE CAUTION….
Some exercises… like standard crunches, sit-ups, pushups, press-ups, and even planks can make abdominal separation worse.

But there are plenty of safe core strengthening exercises. There are even a few that CAN HELP REVERSE DIASTASIS RECTI!

TRY THESE 3 BELLY STRENGTHENING MOVEMENTS

** Before starting any exercise during or after pregnancy, be sure to talk to your doctor**

** How many sets and reps you do will be up to you and your doctor. A general number would be 2 to 4 sets of 10 reps. You can gradually do more as your core strengthens/heals. 

EXERCISE #1: Heel Slides with alternating arms
Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Engage your abdominals by pulling your navel in towards your spine and up towards your heart. Slowly lengthen one leg forward on the mat, hovering it above the floor, while keeping the hips still and the abdominals drawing in and up. Bend the leg back in and repeat on the other side.

EXERCISE #2: Bird Dog Alternate Arm & Leg
Start off doing a few reps of JUST arms. Then JUST legs. Then do both. Keep your back and pelvis stable, then reach your right arm forward and left leg back. Don’t rock side to side and focus on abdominal drawing in, not sucking in! Return to the starting position, placing your hand and knee on the floor. Repeat on the other side.

EXERCISE #3: Toe Taps
Lying on your back, lift legs to a tabletop position with a 90-degree bend at knees. Draw your abs in then one at a time, tap toes to the ground, alternating legs.

!! TWO IMPORTANT TIPS WHEN PERFORMING THESE 3 EXERCISES !!

• Make sure you focus and move slowly! Breathing is a KEY component to all of these movements: Deep inhales, and exhale when you activate the muscles.
• During the entire movement, focus on drawing your abdomen in. We show you exactly what we mean in the video above. This is basically stomach vacuuming … which we talk about A LOT in other videos on our YouTube Channel. 

Diastasis Recti is not something you should ignore!

Aesthetics aside .. it can cause other issues like lower back pain, bloating, and issues with your bladder and bowels.

If you believe you have it… make sure you take steps to correct it!! 

If you are trying to get your post-baby bod back, or really do need to get rid of some stubborn belly fat, you will see the BEST results if you are dieting and training based on YOUR BODY TYPE!

We have a FREE 5 Question Quiz you can take that will tell you how you need to eat and train based on your GENETICS! 

The post The Post Baby Belly Problem That Affects 67% Of Women… but could be causing ANYONE’S “belly pooch”  appeared first on V Shred.

If you are ready to take the appearance of your abs to the NEXT LEVEL – – we’ve got 4 exercises that you need to add to add to at least one of your ab workouts!

Bodyweight ab exercises are excellent for core strength and stability. Plus, if you are doing them “circuit style,” they also provide some additional cardio burn.

By all means .. keep doing bodyweight ab workouts!

But if you want those eye-catching .. 3D .. blocky .. popping .. kind of abs — you can’t ONLY do bodyweight ab exercises like sit-ups and russian twists!

You’ve gotta throw in some weighted movements. 

Adding weights to certain ab exercises can make a significant difference because your abs are like any other muscle in your body – they need progressive overload if you want them to GROW (i.e., pop)

Today we are taking you through a Weighted Six-Pack Workout that consists of four of our favorite weighted ab movements!

We are also showing you some modifications that are easier if you find any of the movements too difficult! As you progress, you can always work your way up to the more advanced/weighted version! 

Before you get started – make sure you watch THE INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO BELOW!

Form is crucial with ab training; otherwise, you could hurt your back and/or recruit other muscles and not fully activate your core!

WEIGHTED SIX-PACK AB WORKOUT

What To Do:

• 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions of each exercise. Rest as much as you need between sets to properly recover. Approx 60-90 seconds.
• Pick a weight that is challenging while still being able to use proper form!
  
• Do this weighted workout at least once a week in addition to any bodyweight ab training that you already do. ** If you need any ideas for bodyweight ab workouts, we have thousands to choose from HERE.

Exercises:

• DB Leg Raises (Power Tower for beginners)
• BB Sit-ups (No BB for beginners)
• Cable Side Ab Pulldowns
• DB Side Plank Hip Dips (No DB for beginners)

Throw in these weighted movements at least 1x a week for at least a month, and we know that  you WILL see better results than from doing bodyweight ab exercises alone!

ONE LAST PIECE OF ADVICE…..

This workout alone (or any workout for that matter) — WILL NOT GIVE YOU 3-D SHREDDED ABS!!

You can train abs every day, even with weighted movements like the ones we showed you today — but if you have excess belly fat covering your stomach, your ab muscles will NOT show!! 

You can not train your abs to get rid of belly fat!!!

To get rid of the fat that covers your abs,  you have to focus on consistent full body resistance training and most likely being in a calorie deficit.

The best way to do that is to – know your body type – so you can eat and exercise in a way that is best for your genetics! 

We created a fast and easy quiz that will tell you what your body type is!!

It’s only 6 questions .. it’s free .. and will instantly tell you what to do so that you know you are training in a way that is best for your genetics and goals.

Over 2 million people have already taken our free quiz and are seeing AMAZING results! CLICK HERE to get started! 

The post Want POPPING abs? Try this weighted six-pack workout! appeared first on V Shred.

Just because an exercise is labeled as a modification does not mean it’s easier…or less effective! If you make the RIGHT swaps… you may end up with greater progress!

A little later in this article, we will tell you why.

But let’s take a look at a few examples.

5 Exercise Modifications
(That May Be Harder Than The Original) 

STANDARD PUSH-UP -VS- KNEE PUSH-UP
A push up is often seen as only an “upper body strength” exercise, but your CORE also plays a significant role.

Weak core strength is what often results in hips sagging toward the floor when repetitions get tough. If you find this happening, due to lack of upper body or core strength, don’t see using your knees as a weakness! Both variations will give you a solid core and upper-body workout!

Knee push-ups can be even HARDER than the original because when you are on your knees, you are targeting your triceps a little bit more to stay in a good tempo. This means you take the load off the core a bit .. but you engage your arms more.

BARBELL BACK SQUATS -VS- BARBELL FRONT SQUATS
Back squats are a staple in most programs. The best modification is moving from a squat rack to a supported smith machine. You can also use machines or dumbbells when squatting.

There are some situations where a back squat is not possible, even with a change in equipment. In this case, a front squat could be a great modification… especially if you have shoulder concerns or have really long legs. People with long legs sometimes find it challenging to stay upright in a standard back squat.

Front squats are NOT any easier. Many people find them much more difficult. When done correctly, they require much more mobility. 

One thing to note if you are going to swap out a back squat for a front squat.

Front squats hit the quads and upper back more. Back squats target the quads for sure, but also the hips, glutes, and lower back. Keep this in mind if you choose this modification. 

PULL-UPS -VS- BANDED PULL UPS
Pull-ups are no joke! Most people struggle to do ONE. Instead of struggling to get in a solid rep … try using bands. The lighter the band, the more like an original pull-up it will be!

Start out with a band with more resistance, and as you progress, you can work your way to a lighter band… and then no band at all!

Banded pull-ups also have a few distinct advantages over a body-weight or weighted pull-up. They allow you to fully execute the FULL pull-up movement instead of being tempted to do partial reps.

BARBELL DEADLIFT -VS- DB or HEX BAR DEADLIFT
The barbell deadlift is a very common exercise and often known as KING. But anyone with back issues, or who is new to deadlifting, may want to try deadlifting with dumbbells or a HEX bar.

Each modification has its perks! With DBs, you may be able to control your range of motion and tempo better. With a HEX bar, because of the positioning of the bar, you will most likely be able to use a heavier weight than you would with a standard bar deadlift. 

V-UPS -VS- TUCKS
V-Ups make an appearance in MANY of my ab workouts on our YouTube Channel.

They are not easy and require quite a bit of core strength. So rather than struggling and using bad form, try doing “tucks” instead.

Instead of keeping both legs and arms straight when you raise up into a V… tuck your legs on the way up. This puts less pressure on your back if you’re not quite strong enough yet.

Take away your hands and make them “hands-free,” and they can be just as challenging if not MORE challenging than doing them in that “V.” 

Modifications ARE NOT a bad thing!!

The Right Swaps Can Build More Strength
You get stronger by doing what you CAN DO instead of attempting to do what you CAN’T DO with proper form and execution. If a lack of strength is why you need to do a modification, don’t worry about it! Once you get good at the modified version, you will be able to advance to the “real” thing.

They Can Keep You Injury-Free

You may be modifying because you already have an injury. But if you are modifying because you aren’t ready for the advanced movement… view this time as simply preparing your body for the harder version. If you try to jump in and do something your body isn’t ready for … you are asking for an injury! 

Focus on form and slowly building. You will protect your joints, nail down solid form, and ensure that when you are ready, you will be able to execute at the next level properly.

The patience will be worth it!

You Will Build Confidence and Remain Frustration-Free

There is no quicker way to want to give up than being frustrated, and there is no faster way to be frustrated in the gym, than feeling like you “can’t do” an exercise.

Don’t let ego or attitude hold you back from doing a modification. You will feel better about your lift and enhance your “mental game” … which is more than half of the gym battle! 

I GET IT….YOU WANT TO DO THE “REAL” THING….

But never fear modifications…you may discover they yield BETTER results than the original!
In fact, I prefer some of these exercises over the original!! 

If you have any confusion about how you should be training to achieve your goals. 

A great starting point is to take our BODY TYPE QUIZ!

When you follow a training plan and diet that is best for your genetics, you will see both faster and better results!

It’s only 5 questions and will get you started in the right direction!
We hope these modification ideas helped you out!

If there is another exercise that you are unable to perform and would like to know a modification … comment and let us know! 

The post 5 Exercise Modifications That May Be More Difficult Than The Original appeared first on V Shred.

Is a WIDER waist one of your physique goals? We are guessing the answer is .. no!

But there is a really popular ab exercise you may be doing, that could be giving you bigger obliques. As a result… the appearance of a wider, thicker, and bigger midsection.

This trendy exercise isn’t bad for a small percentage of people. A little further down in this article, we will tell you who may benefit.

But it’s a horrible idea for the vast majority of people reading this. 

• Do you have normal to high levels of body fat?
• Do you have a “blocky” or short waist?
• Do you tend to store body fat in your midsection or lower back?
• Are you in the initial stages of fat-loss?
  

Then you need to … STOP DOING THE WEIGHTED SIDE BEND!

If you subscribe to our YouTube Channel or friends with us on Social Media, then you may be scratching your head right now, saying, “Wait, Vince does these, and now you are telling me they are bad?”

We said that they are bad for MOST people. Just because an exercise is popular doesn’t mean YOU should be doing it.

Monkey see monkey do, should not be a philosophy you use when it comes to ANYTHING health and fitness!

That is why we preach the importance of knowing your body type and why we developed a FREE BODY TYPE QUIZ that anyone can take. It will help you determine the best way to train and eat, based on your personal genetics!

THE WEIGHTED SIDE BEND
Most people do side bends because they’re trying to spot-reduce. They think that doing side bends will somehow magically get rid of love handles.

We can see why you would believe this. We tell you how important lifting weight is for every other part of your body .. so why wouldn’t you think that bending with weight will somehow tone your love handles. 

But your obliques (the muscle that runs up and down your sides) are different. 

This is a muscle you do not want to grow because it will not help change the shape of your body in a GOOD way!

Some trainers say you should NEVER do this exercise, no matter what.

We are not going to say NEVER, because it can be a decent core exercise for SOME people if done with proper form.

Even then, it is not the best oblique exercise. Many are far superior. 

We put together an entire video that explains why the weighted side bend is an exercise you should probably delete from your gym vocabulary.

You will want to watch this one, save it, and have it on hand, so you can share it the next time you see someone attempting to bend their way to a smaller waist!!

Your obliques are a muscle, just like your arms or legs. If you are training them with weight, they’ll most likely grow. 

If your goal is to have a smaller waist, you want to focus on strengthening and toning your obliques, not building them. 

HOW TO TONE & STRENGTHEN YOUR OBLIQUES
The best love handle exercises are those that involve and target this muscle the way it’s meant to be trained, which is NOT a side-to-side motion like you do with a side bend.

Instead of just BENDING .. you want to focus on rotation. 

Your core muscles are designed to resist movement, not create it. When working side to side, you will feel it stretching .. but you aren’t CONTRACTING the muscle.

Instead, you want to think about rotating or resisting rotation.

It would be much better to do things like …

Wood chops, side planks or similar isometric holds, a farmer carry, med ball tosses, or anything else that trains your obliques in a rotational plane.

Another reason you may want to chill out on side bends… they aren’t ideal for you to do long term.

You are holding the weight and doing a lateral spinal flexion, which over time, can place excessive pressure on your spine and can cause nerve impingement.

THE SIDE END EXCEPTION
If you have a longer torso and extremely low levels of body fat, you can probably get away with weighted bending movements. But we still think there are far superior exercises.

We have tons of videos on our YouTube channel for core strength, we also have complete ab programs available that teach you how to train your core! 

BOTTOM LINE….
It would be nice if we could spot reduce fat through diet or exercise, but we can’t.

If your genetics mean that you hold on to fat in your stomach or lower back … it is what it is.

If you want to lose your love handles, you need to focus on OVERALL stomach toning, and most important, losing body-fat.

Doing side bends won’t help. After reading this article, we hope you learned that even worse, they may hurt. 

Don’t forget that your genetics will determine the extent to which your obliques will develop “thickness” through exercises like the weighted side bend.

Make sure you take a couple of minutes and check out our FREE BODY TYPE QUIZ! 

The post If You Want a Smaller Waist – Stop Doing This Ab Exercise appeared first on V Shred.

Only 6 minutes?! Really?! You’re telling me that I can get a flat stomach in that short of time?

Well … not exactly. 

But hopefully, we have your attention because we have something important to talk about if a flat stomach is your goal!

There is a mistake you are probably making in your quest to get rid of belly fat.

Like any muscle, you obviously can’t exercise once and see results. You need to train your abs consistently for them to tighten up. 

So no, you won’t get abs in ONLY 6-minutes.

What we are saying is that it’s a waste of time to spend endless hours crunching away in an attempt to get rid of belly fat and have a flat stomach!

Why?

For starters, you already work your ab muscles quite a bit if you are doing exercises in the gym that require core stabilization or compound movements like squats and deadlifts. For this reason alone, a couple sets of only a few ab exercises each week, is usually sufficient.

But doing exercises that target abs is only a very small part of getting a flat stomach.

There are some other AB FACTS  we need to quickly discuss before giving you that free 6-minute lower ab workout!

These are important, because we don’t want you to think you can do this 6 minute workout (or any ab workout for that matter) and magically have a flat stomach!

That is because…  YOU CANNOT SPOT-REDUCE FAT!

You can do 1000 crunches every single day, but they WILL NOT remove the fat that covers your abs. Just like you can do squats every day, and they won’t remove the fat from your legs.

To see your abs, you need to do what you would do if you want to lose fat in any other area of your body — focus on full-body exercise, cardio, and a proper diet.

After that, where your body decides to both hold onto fat and shed it the fastest, really comes down to genetics! 

This is exactly why we created a free body type quiz. It tells you what your genetics are and how you should train and eat to achieve your goals! If you are interested, we’ll tell you about it at the bottom of this article.

Even if your genetics cause you to hold on to fat in your mid-section, most people can still get pretty decent mid and upper ab definition with the right diet and exercise program.

The lower area of the stomach is another story. Which is why we want to focus on lower abs for this free 6-minute workout. 

The area below the belly button is hands down the most difficult part of the mid-section to tone and flatten because the lower stomach is where most people store excess fat. Especially women, due to the hormone estrogen. 

Getting a super shredded six-pack is simply not attainable for most people, (especially long term,) but with the right diet and exercise plan a FLAT stomach is possible for almost everyone! 

Just remember, to achieve that, you need to nail your diet, do full-body training, and exercises that strengthen your entire core, especially your lower abs.

This short 6 minute home workout will definitely help you do that!

Throw it in a couple days a week, and you will be well on your way to a flatter stomach in no time!

6 Minute Lower Ab Workout for a Flat Stomach
(NO EQUIPMENT REQUIRED)

Timing:
30 seconds on, 15 seconds rest.

Exercises:
Reverse Crunches
Flutter Kicks
Mountain Climbers
Leg Lift Extensions

You will do each exercise above for 30 seconds, rest for 15 seconds, then move on to the next exercise. Do the entire circuit twice! That’s it!

If you don’t know how to do any of these movements or just want to follow along with us while we do it, we created a video for you! 

We hope you like the workout, just don’t forget that while just 6-minutes a day may be enough time to put into exercising your abs, it won’t be enough to show a six-pack.

Workouts like this one simply help you strengthen your core and build ab muscles that can be revealed once they are no longer hiding under a layer of fat.

The best way to do that is to perform full-body exercises and diet in a way that is best for YOUR genetics. 

Our FREE BODY TYPE QUIZ is a great tool to help you determine how to eat and train in a way that works WITH your genetics (instead of against them) – allowing you to see results faster and easier! 

https://vshred.com/sp/survey/survey-aka1/

It’s only 6 questions, takes seconds to get your results, and again, it’s FREE! 

Find out your body type by clicking HERE!

The post Hit your lower abs with this 6-minute no equipment at-home workout appeared first on V Shred.